Knowing how to focus while reading can improve your reading and the amount of information you absorb. This can save you time by increasing your understanding the first time you read something and reducing whether you have to go back and reread material.

1. TRANSILIENZ LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Career Guidance series
Dr. Sachitra
ABSTRACT
Motivation is important for good studying. When you are motivated, you will find it easy to stay
focused over a period of time. When you are not motivated, you will not only find it difficult to
stay focused, but you will find it difficult to get started in the first place.

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If you find that you lack motivation to study, you have come to the right place. Just about every
student experiences this problem at one time or another.
Motivation is simply whatever makes you do something. Studying is important because it is the
first thing in a long chain that will lead you to becoming a contributing member of society.
There are many ways to motivate people methods used historically include money, fear, and
various rewards. However, the most effective method of motivation is to somehow make the
person to be motivated believing that the given action (such as studying) is in their best interest,
thus making it their idea to study in the first place.
Motivation is important for good studying. When you are motivated, you will find it easy to stay
focused over a period of time. When you are not motivated, you will not only find it difficult to
stay focused, but you will find it difficult to get started in the first place.
Learning new skills involves absorbing a lot of information. Quite often this is in the form of text
that needs to be read and sometimes depending on what you are studying; there can be a lot of
reading to do. This makes reading effectively an important study skill.
Knowing how to focus while reading can improve your reading and the amount of information
you absorb. This can save you time by increasing your understanding the first time you read
something and reducing whether you have to go back and reread material.
Here are few tips on how to focus and improve your
reading:
1. Decide what you want from reading the material: It is always a good idea to skim the
headings of the material you are about to read so you have a general idea of what you will
cover. Think about why you are reading the material – is it to learn a specific piece of
information or memorise key points for an exam. Understanding what you want to achieve can
help you stay focused and improve your reading.
2. Remember you don’t have to read everything: There is always a desire to read everything
from start to finish however this is often not the best use of your study time. Particularly when

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writing reports or research papers, it is easy to get sidetracked by reading material not related to
your topic. Once you know what you know your goals for reading the material, stick to reading
material related to those goals.
3. Jot down the key ideas: Through noting down the key ideas of what you are reading not
only will you have a handy reference for later but you will also be more involved in your reading
and more likely to remember what you read. Mind maps are a good way to jot down key ideas
without getting sidetracked from the material.
4. Read out loud: Reading material out loud also makes the reading process more active.
While reading out loud will slow your reading speed it can be useful when trying to understand a
particularly complex section or when you are having trouble focusing at all.
5. Ask yourself questions: By asking yourself questions about what you are reading you can
improve your understanding of the material and link the new knowledge to what you already
know. Asking yourself ‘what are the unique points of this material?’ and ‘how does this link to
what I already know will help you remember the information.
6. Review what you have read: Reviewing the information at the end of each section or
chapter will help you make sure you understand your reading and whether you can remember
the key points. Taking the time to mentally review your reading can make huge difference in
understanding.
7. Choose your reading environment: Having the right study environment can greatly improve
your reading. Try to pick somewhere quiet and comfortable so you are less likely to have
distractions created by noise and discomfort. You can learn more about creating an effective
study space here.
8. Get into the right headspace: Clearing your mind before you start reading can help you
focus and improve your reading. You are less likely to concentrate if you are worried about other
issues. Meditation can help you clear your mind before you start
9. If reading makes you physically tired: If reading gives you headaches or makes you
fatigued, you might have more than just a focus problem and should check with a professional.
Eyesight problems can make reading a real struggle and are often easy to fix.

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Reading is an important study skill and a vital part of learning new information so it is important
to improve your reading skills. Learning how to focus and absorb information through reading
will make it much easier for you to learn new skills.